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First week thoughts
My first week on the trail has been a learning experience.
One of my first lessons was about dealing with the cold. I was very cold my first night out, but as I spent more nights on trail I figured out a few things that kept me warmer and that has made me a happier camper. I knew I tend to run cold, but didn’t realize just how much until I was shivering in 3 layers of clothing while Keith was very comfortable in his single layer!
Keeping my quilt snugged down tight and cinched at the neck really helps, and I know I didn’t have it closed tightly enough at the beginning.
Remember those down pants I said I wasn’t going to bring? Well I brought them after all, and I am so glad I did! They keep me much warmer while setting up camp, making dinner or breakfast, and during nighttime potty runs.
When I’m really cold, keeping a pair of hot hands actually in my hands at night seems to help the rest of me stay warmer. A hot hands down in my foot box helps too.
Guess what?! AT miles and miles per day are NOT the same!
I knew this, but it was brought home to me when I looked at the mileage on my fitness app on the third day. My trail miles were only 6.8, but my distance for the day added up to 10.7! The extra trips for water, the privy, and general wanderings around camp added up to almost 4 extra miles! Not every day has as big a difference; sometimes the water sources are much closer to the shelter or campsite, but I am trying to keep that in mind as I plan out the days ahead.
A little distraction goes a long way to helping me get through the day.
On Day 3 I decided to take photos of every AT symbol I passed along the trail. Take a guess how many AT symbols there were along that 6.8 miles of trail and I’ll give you my tally at the end of this post.
It was a fun distraction that took my mind off of my aches, pains, discomforts, and lack of trail legs. I’ve grown stronger in the last week, luckily, but having something else to focus on even for part of the day really helps when I’m having a hard time.
A shuttle driver can be an amazing resource.
We were fortunate enough to find the number for Linda, shuttle driver extraordinaire, on the Far Out app when we needed to get into Smithsburg to resupply. She not only brought us into town, but helped us figure out our plan for the following days, helped us find a place to stay for our zero day ( today), showed us all the places to eat that were a good value nearby, and will shuttle us for the next two days while we slack pack some of the trail. She also had insight about the terrain on some of the trail which was incredibly helpful as we came down the big descent from Ravens rock yesterday. I wouldn’t have been prepared for the rock scramble we had to navigate without her!
Photo by @keithmetzger78 on Instagram
She has been kind, encouraging and helpful to us and I am so grateful that there are people out there who are willing to support hikers in this way.
I need more battery for my electronics than I thought.
Writing notes on my phone every day for this blog, taking photos, listening to music and books or podcasts, and checking what time it is several times a night made my phone battery drain pretty quickly. The cold temperatures at night probably made it worse. I had a 10k power bank already but it was drained by the 4th night out. I bought a second 10k power bank at Walmart today, along with a digital watch for my middle of the night time checks.
There are new things to learn every day.
I didn’t know that areas of the Annapolis Rocks camp ground were nesting areas for venomous snakes.
I didn’t know that there was a Washington monument that predates the one in DC by 57 years.
Washington Monument – the original!
I didn’t know that turkey vultures are a good spirit animal and symbolize new beginnings.
I didn’t know that some rocks are perfectly proportioned to be more comfortable than most chairs.
The perfect rock chair
I am looking forward to next week’s lessons and adventures.
P.S. The answer to the question about the AT symbols…. There were a total of 21 that I counted in those 6.8 miles!
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Comments 13
Go, Jenn!! Thanks for sharing your lessons real-time. I’m filing them away for my start in a few weeks. Stay warm!
Thanks Fun Size!
Excellent lessons to learn!
Good for you, you are building strength, knowledge, wisdom and building reliance.
Thanks Amie!
I’m starting my thru from springer mt in just a few weeks and am hoping it will be above freezing at the least! Might need to nab a pair of down pants for camp.
Also, if you are able to insulate your phone and battery pack while you’re not using them it can help preserve the battery in the cold!
Thanks Elayna! I’ve been really lucky with the weather in general. Some nights in the 20s but no snow and it warms up to the 40s- upper 50s during the day. Hope you get some good weather for the start of your hike!
I was just wondering about you! One thing about the last week’s weather – when it’s warm during the day, the cold nights feel even colder!
Power management on trail is always a challenge. Good idea to get a watch for night time checks and alarms. I turn my phone off at night to save battery. Also, you should charge the phone battery while you do camp chores/cook/eat; leaving the power bank plugged in after the phone is 100% charged still drains the power bank. And as someone else noted; keep your phone and power bank inside your quilt to keep it warm (helps maintain the charge).
How has your water filter been doing with the cold?
That rock scramble after Raven Rocks and before PenMar is no joke! I twisted my ankle in there, hopping from rock to rock.
Keep hiking – the weather will improve!
Thanks Rick! The water filter has been fine – keeping that and my electronics in my quilt at night and it’s been warm enough during the day I haven’t had to worry about it then. Those rocks were hazardous! Hope your hike is going well.
Nice, doing good. 🙂
Thanks Dan! Miss you guys!
Glad you’re figuring out how to stay warmer! Fun fact – a lil copperhead snuck behind my backpack when I camped at Annapolis LOL. Had a bad day, then almost got bit by a venomous snake. Double whammy 😂
Wow Jess glad I didn’t see any and glad you did t get bit! Yikes!